Andrew Balbirnie was another Irish player to follow the path to Middlesex when he signed in 2014 after completing a degree at Cardiff University and coming through the Middlesex academy. However, his stay in county cricket came to an end in 2016 when he was released by mutual consent following a struggle with a hip problem which required surgery and limited his opportunities.

Balbirnie captained Ireland in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, having been a member of the squad in the 2008 tournament. He had his first taste of international cricket in 2010, but it was not until 2014 that he started to flourish when he pressed his claims by top-scoring on their World Cup acclimatisation tour of Australia and New Zealand in the autumn of 2014 and he confirmed the impression by hitting 129, off just 96 balls, against a strong New Zealand A side in Dubai.

Balbirnie also bowls serviceable offspin and is a back-up wicketkeeper, and is regarded as a fine fielder.
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